MORNINGTON PENINSULA

13^th November, 2014

After a detour into the northern suburbs of Melbourne to check out a new Crusader caravan for Roger and Gwen (Wok’s sister and brother-in-law) we headed south to the Mornington Peninsula and checked into the Stony Point Caravan Park on Westernport Bay.  The caravan park is situated right beside HMAS Cerberus naval base and is a stepping off point for a ferry to French Island and Phillip Island.

Stony Point Jetty

Besides the Stony Point Caravan Park there are only a couple of houses, a small shop, dockside offices for the Westernport Marine Authority and a train station where one can take a two carriage train to Frankston and then hop on a train to Melbourne.  It’s a great place for some quiet camping with the occasional day trip to explore the peninsula.  This is also a popular spot for local fishermen to launch their boats and after setting up the van on site we take a walk to the foreshore to see what type of fish the returning boats had brought back.  We weren’t the only ones interested in the catch and the fish cleaning tables were staked out by a bevy of pushy pelicans.

Pelicans at the fish cleaning table Stony Point

Two fishermen had just tipped their esky full of red schnapper onto the table and we chatted to them as they cleaned their catch.

Fisherman at Stony Point with his catch of red schnapper

All the while the ever vigilant pelicans and seagulls kept a watchful eye on the proceedings and were quick to snaffle up any discarded morsels.

Aww ... come on ... I'm being really really good ... !

Our first excursion is south along the eastern coast of the peninsula, popping in and out of the small seaside villages until we get to the most southern point at Cape Schanck.

Cape Schanck Lighthouse

Then we cross over the peninsula to the western side and Port Phillip Bay and follow the coast north checking out the seaside holiday villages of Sorrento, Rosebud and Dromana before climbing up to the lookouts at Arthurs Seat.  The views are fantastic with the peninsula spread out on both sides and disappearing into the haze.

View of Mornington Peninsula towards Point Nepean from Arthurs Seat

And we did actually find Arthurs Seat on top of Arthurs Seat.

Robyn takes it easy at Arthurs Seat

It was late afternoon by the time we followed the ridge road through Red Hill and back to Stony Point.  Our next excursion was to the furthest point on the Peninsula – Point Nepean National Park.  It was a lovely sunny day and the colour of the water was turquoise and blue – simply enchanting.  Point Nepean National Park is not fully accessible for private vehicles so we parked Mitzi and caught the shuttle bus into the park.  One of the first stops along the way is Cheviot Beach where a memorial to Prime Minister Harold Holt is located.

Cheviot Beach

We remember at the time the media frenzy surrounding the disappearance of Australia’s Prime Minister and the many rumours – from him being taken by a Great White Shark to being kidnapped by scuba divers from a Russian submarine.  The reality is that he more than likely was caught in an undertow and simply drowned but one can’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.  With no witnesses and no body the disappearance will always be a mystery and this secluded beach is now part of Australian history.

The shuttle bus winds its way along the narrow road out along the peninsula with Bass Strait on one side and Port Phillip on the other.

View back along the peninsula - Port Phillip Bay on the left and Bass Strait on the right.

The bus drops us off at the furthest point on the peninsula – Point Nepean.  There is a wonderful view of the entrance to Port Phillip from here.

View from Point Nepean across the entrance to Port Phillip Bay

The entrance to Port Phillip was the most heavily forted port of the British Empire with Fort Nepean standing guard over Bass Strait and the entrance to the bay.  Built in the 1870’s the fort was manned through both World Wars.

Wok makes his way towards the tunnels

We explore the tunnels

Wandering through the maze of tunnels

and fortifications and read the information boards which give us an insight into the history and life of the military personnel stationed here.

After wandering through the maze of tunnels and gun emplacements we eventually make our way back to the bus stop.  Point Nepean National Park was also home to a Quarantine Station which was established in 1852 and operated until 1952 when the buildings became home to the Officer Cadet School until 1985.  From 1985 to 1998 the buildings were used as a School for Army Health.  The site is now looked after by the National Parks and there are over 50 heritage listed buildings.

Avenue of trees at the Quarantine Station

We stroll around the site and through some of the buildings. 

Heat Oven for processing luggage of Quarantined passengers

There are five large buildings that were used as hospitals for sick passengers off the boats that entered Port Phillip.

One of the hospital buildings at the Quarantine Station

With many immigrants pouring into the colony in the second half of the 1800’s the outbreak of diseases such as typhus was a constant threat.  The tragic stories of those who were put into quarantine and those who died and were buried here are heart rending.  Some of Robyn’s ancestors may have passed through the Quarantine Station on their way to the Victorian goldfields in the 1850’s.  We wondered what they would have thought of this strange country so different to their home in Britain.

After leaving the National Park we followed the coast around Port Phillip Bay.  In the distance across the water we could just make out the outline of Melbourne’s high rise buildings in the haze.

View of Melbourne (in the haze) from Mornington Peninsula

All along the beaches on this side of the peninsula are colourful bathing sheds – a reminder of a bygone era.

Bathing sheds on Mornington Peninsula

Our time on the peninsula is nearly over and we’ve enjoyed exploring the many roads and by-ways that criss-cross its length.  Before we leave there was one last stop to make – sunset over the water at Portsea. 

Sunset at Portsea

Breathtaking …..